Guest tourtelot Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 feeling a little anxious about a phone call tomorrow with the line producer of a series that I have been approached to mix. I know they have money; fourth season, and I know what the job is worth. I'm sticking to my guns about the rate and the guarentee. But I am hungry as well, and feeling a little nervous. D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 [Cue theme music, Cue announcer] V.O.: "Will our hero get the job, will the evil producer call him and pay him what he wants, will his hunger be overcome, will he be forced to work on a <gasp> non union job?" Tune in tomorrow for the further adventures of "The Trials & Tribulations of Tourtelot, Seattle Sound Mixer." Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 I hate the whole process of securing work, employment, even with people who I have done a lot of work for in the past. Even when I know they want me and Don on the job (and of course I do have enough ego to think that we ARE the best for the job), I know that there is still the negotiating thing where production tells you that "we have a little bit of a budget problem on this one", etc., etc. Weighing this up against whatever my personal state of need (and I never feel like I don't need the work --- I have not been very successful in providing the means for any kind of retirement), and my own inherent insecurity, often causes me to be less strong in the money area. I think the one bit of advice about negotiating, which many of you already know, is that you have to be fully prepared to lose the job before you can really secure the job at a good rate. So often I am NOT of the mind to lose the job over the money issues and too many times I have just caved in and agreed to a lesser deal (and this is even on really big projects where it really has no impact on the budget one way or the other --- other than the psychological factor for a production manager feeling they have done a good job getting top flight crew people for less). Regards, Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Toline Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 JW, If you're working union jobs aren't there pay minimums that must be adhered to? If so how could the producer ask you to work for less? Eric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Wexler Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 JW, If you're working union jobs aren't there pay minimums that must be adhered to? If so how could the producer ask you to work for less? Eric I have almost always worked "over scale" in the past but now since there are about 35 separate and distinct UNION contracts, the question is: over WHAT scale are we talking about? It has gotten to the point where a the producer no longer really has to think about whether it is union or non-union, many of the union contracts pay less than non-unionized work and the working conditions are no better because the union contract allows the producer to go around the existing state labor laws. These days, the producer can say to the I.A. "We'll go union on this project but I only want to pay the boom operator $11.00 an hour and I don't want to pay any overtime until after 14 hours minus a meal break that we may or may not take". The union response to this is typically: "we've got a contract for you that will give you everything you want" and it is those jobs that I thankfully do not do. Regards, Jeff Wexler Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tourtelot Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 That is 100% correct, Jeff. And even in LA where it used to be more cut and dried. The job I am alluding to is in a state of "big incentives" and the local contract (I should say the Local Area Agreement) is in place. The "scale" rates are terrible, and I surely would not be interested in the job at those rates. $21, I believe for the mixer on a fourth-year episodic! No local tallent that is available/wants to do the job. Now it is up to me to negotiate. For not only rates, but conditions such as idle days, and guarantees. Just like before we had a union. Sigh. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larry long Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Errrr. Doug. You can get what you asked for. I'm sure it's gonna work out and if not then it's a blessing. I have 10 more wake ups then back to NC to pray for work. LL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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